The Best Holiday Gifts

What brought me the most joy this Christmas was the times spent with friends and family. This year was one of the most peaceful and relaxing holidays. Christmas eve was spent with Priscilla's and Megan's family my two dear friends who are as close to me as family. As always Megan's home was warm and inviting and looked like it could have just jumped out of the Better Homes and Garden Magazine. My biggest surprise was that Brian made it back from Long Island. Having a death in the family is never easy. After the services Brian took his mom to his brother's home so she wouldn't be alone. His Mom's spirit is amazing, she wanted Brian to be with Kate and me so she sent him home so he would be with us.

One of the reasons our families have so much fun together is that the kids all get along so well. Megan and I have been friends since high school, our girls have grown up together, and I know that Kate feels like Lexy and Chelsea are like sisters to her.

Tom and Brian are great buds too! Tom's holding my gift from Megan, the Kelly Rae date book. It makes me laugh to think what Kelly Rae's version of a painting of these two men would look like

I also feel so blessed that through Megan, Priscilla and I have become so close. She has such a warm and open heart. I love this picture of Kate, Avery, and Priscilla all piled and cozy in this chair. The evening was perfect and my only wish is that I knew how to use my time on my camera so that I could have gotten a group shot.

On Christmas morning Kate woke up Brian and I, she was ready to open gifts. I really felt like I scaled back my shopping this year, but Kate told me that she was really happy and thought it was an over the top Christmas.

Buddy had fun getting gifts too.

Which of course delighted Brian. After Buddy tore apart his wrapped gift Brian had him working on helping him.

And Abby was blissed out on her cat nip and just took it all in.

The rest of the day was spent playing outside, reading by the fire, calling family members to wish them joy, and enjoying the comfort of home. These are the true blessings of the holiday. Merry Christmas!

Holiday Wishes to You From Creative Spirit Art Studio

Warm wishes for a holiday that will make your heart smile!

Truth be known I spent more time working on decorations for my tiny tree at the studio this year than decorating my home. The gift gained was my tiny tree filled with heartfelt wishes for my awesome students, friends, and all of you who continue to give me support in bringing my dream of a creative career to life.

Over the past three years of this journey I have been blessed with students who share my creative spirit. My days have been filled with many hours of painting time and each time I sell a painting or hear stories of how others relate to my artwork my heart just soars.

Here is my little tree covered with love. I started with some wooden hearts and large circles, then used my Golden soft gel to adhere the papers and prints to cover both sides, added stamped heartfelt wishes, then a coat of UVA sealer, and for some sparkle I added some glass glitter around the edges and beads.

They were a big seller at our holiday open house this year. It really brings me happiness to think of my hand crafted hearts being used as gifts or adorn peoples trees.

The perfect tree topper was a little painting that I created with my friends and their daughters during a workshop I organized, called From the Center of Your Heart during our Labor Day Weekend at the Lake.

Wishes for everyone to fills their hearts with kindness, to be open to the gift of friendship, to believe that the gifts that bring the most cheer can not be purchased at a store, but come from within by sharing time with others.

Love, from the center of my heart Happy Holidays!

At Home in My Heart

What happens when it's one of the busiest time of the year, when you are rushing to meet deadlines, working seven days a week, and trying to still have quality time with the family? Your body tells you to slow down, for me this message came in the form of a stomach flu. After days of not eating, I am now eating very small meals and reintroducing foods back into my diet, but still trying to take it easy. The bright side of this was that it made me slow way down, catch up on some much needed rest and gave me time to be cozy at home. It allowed me to let go of some of my control issues (this was the first year that I let Katie take on the job of decorating the tree by herself.) Brian even encouraged Buddy to cuddle up with me on the couch.

It's amazing the way pets can bring so much joy and love into your heart.

But nothing compares to the love of a child. Kate and I found time to collaborate on this piece of artwork for her language arts project. It was her brain child for what beauty is. I love spending time with her at the studio, we laugh, listen to music and have great heart to heart talks. When we finished she was asking about how to sign the piece. She went with Katie Ann and a small heart, this little gesture of copying the way I sign my work with my first, middle name and heart gave me a huge feeling of success.

It made me realize that she is finding the value in listening to your heart, watching me being brave by taking chances to live out my dreams and take chances. It's what life is really about. It fills you up and gives a real sense of knowing how to be home in your heart!

Creative Spirit Art Open Studio December 12th

The Gift Of Winter

I took the day off today to enjoy the winter wonderland that we woke up to. Everything was covered in white and looked so beautiful as I walked to the end of our drive to get the morning paper.

Brian made us his fabulous waffles with blueberries, that we picked from our bushes this summer and froze, and pecans, Yum!

Buddy and Brian love playing together in the snow.

Kate and her friend Shannon decided to try using the rope from the tire swing to try out their Tarzan moves.

Off she goes...

Flying into the snow.

The kid in Brian is still very much alive and had to try it too.

I love spending quality time playing together. We even found time to go and cut down our tree. When we got it inside, the tree started to rain all over me so I'm going to let it thaw a bit before decorating. What a perfect wintry day!

Online Shop Update

I finally started my online shop update. Please visit it here , I'll be continuing to add originals, prints, and my limited edition prints mounted on gallery profile canvas with hand collage and painted edges to match. I am offering free shipping to anywhere in the U.S. during the month of December. Happy Holidays!

It's OK to Cry

Well I met my deadline for the drop off of my artwork for

and got a sneak peek of Daisy's hard work transforming it to a beautiful gallery shop. The grand opening is this Saturday. If you are in the Dover, NH area be sure to stop in and check it out. On my way home I got a phone call from Brian, he is trying to tie up some loose ends with Kate's inheritance from my mom. It's helpful to have him figure this out for me, but it does seem in his attorney mode he feels so formal and it makes me wonder how my man can feel so distant. I found the paperwork that he needs, then found myself in tears still trying to deal with the loss of my mom. Her birthday would have been last Thursday, she would have been 67. So as I sit here still with tears in my eyes I remind myself it's OK to cry.

Seacoast Art Teachers Art Show

This Sunday from 4-6pm is the opening reception for the Seacoast Art Teachers Art Show at the Kittery Art Association Here is a sampling of a few pieces that I have in the show. The one above is titled "beauty uniquely totally yourself." Here is another one "Happy Day". I'll be gallery sitting today from 2:30 to 6 pm and at the opening reception tomorrow. If you are in the area please stop by to say hello and check out the artwork by many of our local teachers here on the New Hampshire and Maine Seacoast. This last piece has one of my favorite quotes from Thoreau "the world is but a canvas to the imagination". The quality of this photo doesn't do this piece justice, I took it very rushed state, when I arrived home from Connecticut last Sunday with only an hour to make it to the drop off for the show. It is kind of a statement of how busy my life has been lately. I'm looking forward to this coming week with the holiday break and hope to find a little time to relax and slow down.

Here's what's new at Creative Spirit Art

I have been very busy getting ready for my latest shows and the holiday season at the studio. There have been long days painting with last minute trips to the copy store for scanning and prints. Here is a new series that will be heading off for sale at Lucy's Art Emporium, a new gallery opening next Friday right here in Dover. These little babies are mixed media collage on 5"x5" gallery profile canvases. I think they are so sweet. When I was a girl I thought it was a real treat going to the pet store. I loved all the little creatures, I really wanted some birds, so after much begging I got two little birdies for my birthday. So sad to say that they didn't live long and it broke my heart. I knew right then and there that I would never want another caged pet. So these little birds, all free of their cages, are a tribute to my learning to love birds in their free state. My favorite piece is the "two in love", I would love to hear which is your favorite.

Create from the Heart

This is one of my sold paintings. It got snatched up quickly after I finished it and it has become on of my best selling prints. My process ended up to be all about change and letting go.

This is where it started. I had found this color scheme on a note card and loved it. I was working so hard thinking about how I was going to use these colors that I got stuck, blocked and let it sit in this state for a couple of months. After struggling one morning for a few hours trying to get back into it, I went over the entire canvas with new colors, I tried to not think about the fact that I was giving up on the time that I had already put into it. Soon I was captivated by something new and lovely emerging before me. This whole process embodies one of my favorite quotes, "If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing."-Marc Chagall

The Gifts of Today

Spotting Kate's peace necklace blending into our rug while practicing yoga this morning. Kate returning from her sleep over so we get a few precious moments together before our paths diverge again. Her wanting to add this to my post and insisting for me not to read it until it was posted. Mom: Let me just say that you're an amazing person so important to me. You don't judge me and it's always so easy to be myself. Sometimes things don't always go as we want them to when we're together, but those times make us stronger and strengthen our bond of love. I couldn't imagine a better role-model, friend, shopping partner, pal, and most importantly the person who encourages to spread my wings to reach my dreams. Thank you for everything you do for me. I Love You~Kate

Writing a Haiku poem titled Dirt-

Always under me

Sometimes Staining and messy

Essential to life

Wearing my fun baby blue All Stars and walking right past the dirt on my floors to head out for a day to paint at the studio.
The beautiful nature on our land, just 2 miles out of the city that provides us with lots of firewood to keep us warm and toasty in the winter.

My furry friend, Tessa who comes running with joy to see me and brushes up against my legs with love.
Many Thanks to the universe for sending such lovely gifts my way today!

Love and Joy!

Creative Spirit Art Studio

Right now this is what I am cherishing at the studio. My easel overflowing with new works in progress. One of my favorite quotes, that I painted on the wall behind my makeshift sink area. My newest completed painting.Having the time and room to spread out and create.

Seeing Our Self

A few weeks ago I was out with friends. I was having a conversation with one very dear friend and she said, in the most positive light, "I don't think you really see yourself." It has stuck with me and has been resonating in my mind. I feel that there is so much truth to her statement. So I am taking time to look deeply and see my self.

Collage Discovery Workshop with Claudine Hellmuth

I feel so fortunate to be living a creative life and carving out a niche in this world that allows me to make a living with my artwork and creative ideas. It is not always easy balancing my time between making art, finding ways to sell it, planning and teaching art classes/ workshops, and taking care of the business end of things. There are many days that I wish I had a clone to help me. What I do feel everyday is that I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is the best to be living out my dreams. A few weeks back, I treated my self to a workshop with Claudine Hellmuth. I was a bit nervous about spending the money as I am still in the start up years of my creative business, but it was so worth it. Claudine is a living inspiration. She has her own studio line of paints, mediums, and other great art materials with Ranger. She is always creating new projects to share on her blog, online classes, and workshops throughout the country. She has (I think) three of her own books in which you can see her passion to create and share what she discovers (she has also contributed to many other books and magazines.) As a teacher she was fun, knowledgeable, and very approachable. I was thrilled to learn a few new mixed medium techniques and really appreciated her taking the time to answer a few questions about the business end of the creative life. Thank you Claudine for living your dream and letting the world know that it is no longer just a playing field for men out in the artworld. With hard work and determination the artistic women can achieve greatness and recognition too.

A perfect fall weekend in New England

Umm.... I am feeling so refreshed. It was an ideal fall weekend. Time spent hiking with Brian and Buddy. Gorgeous views from the top of the mountain. Lots of laughter when Buddy found a large mud puddle to cool off in and get a drink. The next day I was off to Maine to visit with my sister. We made it to the last day of apple picking at a farm near her house, then Laurie made delicious apple crisp. Yum, such a treat! The weather today is cold and rainy, but who can complain after such a perfect fall weekend.